The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787) by Leo D. Davis

Author:Leo D. Davis [Davis, Leo Donald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8146-8381-1
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Published: 2016-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

2. The Robber Council of Ephesus

To represent him at the forthcoming Council at Ephesus, Leo named as legates Julius, bishop of Puteoli, the priest Renatus, the most capable of the four legates, who unfortunately died on the journey, the deacon Hilary, afterwards pope, and the notary Dulcitius. On landing at Ephesus the legates immediately presented themselves and their letters to Flavian, patriarch of Constantinople. The council was called into session on August 8, 449 with Dioscurus the president as designated by the Emperor. Presiding from a high throne in the church called Mary, scene of the previous Council of Ephesus, he had at his side, Julius of Puteoli, the papal legate, and in order of seniority Juvenal of Jerusalem, Domnus of Antioch and Flavian of Constantinople. Present were about 170 bishops: some twenty from Egypt, fifteen from Palestine, all amenable to Dioscurus, and fifteen handpicked from the Orient in order to isolate their patriarch Domnus. The most prominent of Antiochene theologians, Theodoret, was interned by the government at Cyrus. Hilary and Dulcitius, not being bishops, were isolated from Julius at the foot of the assembly. The Count Helpidius and the tribune Eulogius were present to see that all went according to the prearranged program — the rehabilitation of Eutyches and the deposition of Flavian and all accused of Nestorianism.

Immediately the forty-two bishops who had been present at the Home Synod which had condemned Eutyches were denied the right to participate and were relegated to the position of spectators. After the imperial letters convoking the Council were read out, the legate Hilary rose to ask that Leo’s letters too be read to the assembly. Dioscurus put off his repeated requests on one pretext or another. Julius, ignorant of Greek and isolated from his fellow legates, proved unequal to the situation, and Dioscurus maintained a firm hand on the discussions. Eutyches was brought in and presented his profession of faith which inspired renewed demands by Julius and Hilary for the reading of Leo’s Tome. But in vain. The Council proceeded to the reading of the minutes of the Home Synod. As the account was read there of Eusebius of Dorylaeum’s demand that Eutyches acknowledge two natures in the Incarnate, the bishops shouted, “Cut him in two who divides Christ.” Then with Dioscurus leading the chorus, the assembly approved Eutyches’ profession of two natures before the Incarnation, one afterward. By 111 votes out of 130, he was declared orthodox and restored to his offices of priest and archimandrite.

Next Dioscurus turned to other matters and had extracts of the preceding Council of Ephesus read in which it was forbidden under pain of deposition to put forward or teach a creed other than that of Nicaea. To this seemingly innocent declaration all, including the papal legates, signified assent. Then Dioscurus played an unexpected card; he denounced Flavian and Eusebius for violating this canon and demanded their immediate deposition. Flavian cried: “I disdain your authority.” Hilary shouted in Latin: “I dissent emphatically.” Other bishops approached Dioscurus and begged him to reconsider his motion.

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